


Children of the Horde

by IndependenceDayChild17



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-04
Updated: 2019-07-04
Packaged: 2020-06-03 22:50:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19473832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IndependenceDayChild17/pseuds/IndependenceDayChild17
Summary: Collection of She-Ra drabbles.





	1. Grounded

**Author's Note:**

> Catra's not quite sure Brightmoon is all its cracked up to be.

Catra jumped to her feet as the door slammed, her posture somewhere between defensive and at attention.

“Uggggghhhh!” Glimmer groaned as she flopped on a nearby couch. 

A calloused hand found its way into Catra’s own. Adora. She was looking at Glimmer, but a gentle squeeze reminded Catra that she was safe. She was in Bright Moon. She had Adora back.

“What’s wrong Glimmer?” Adora asked, but Catra tuned them out, focusing on relaxing each muscle as she slids back to the floor. Glimmer barely even acknowledged Catra’s existence as she continued to rant. Spouting something about the disaster of a mission they had been on and the Queen’s apparent distaste for their results.

“ . . . this punishment is just completely unfair!” Glimmer shouted, slamming her fists down into the soft pillows of the couch. 

Catra’s attention focused at that. She looked the princess over, examining her body for any signs of distress, but found nothing. “What was the punishment?” She blurted out, Adora’s warning-glance only making her wish she hadn’t asked. If the Queen would punish her own daughter, what would she and Adora be in for?

Glimmer didn’t seem to notice her unease though, as she continued on her tirade. “I’m grounded! Can you believe that?” Catra tensed at the word, images of darkness, cramped spaces, suffocating – 

Maybe this Rebellion thing hadn’t been her best idea.

She stood up, and Glimmer came to a halt. She looked confused. “Catra.” It was Adora. She hadn’t moved, still sitting on the floor as relaxed as she ever was. “It’s okay.”

“What’s wrong?” Glimmer questioned, suspicious. “It’s not like she’s grounded.”

Adora was relaxed. Maybe she had just misunderstood. That seemed to happen a lot in Bright Moon. “What does that mean?” She ground out, her eyes flickering to Adora.

Adora had barely taken a breath before Glimmer jumped back in, “Oh! Of course, it means I can’t go on missions and have to stay in the castle for a whole week! Can you believe it!”

Catra’s mouth dropped open. “So . . . you’re just confined to quarters?”

“Catra.” Adora’s voice was low, a warning, but Catra had been ignoring Adora’s warnings her whole life.

“Pst! After the mess we made I figured it would be a lot worse.” The frown on Glimmer’s face only egged her on. “I mean, half of that village burned down because we poked at the Horde and they followed us. If we’d ever down something like that in the Horde, Shadow Weaver would’ve – “

“Catra!” Adora’s cheeks were flushed, she was breathing hard, and she had thrown Catra’s hand away like it had burned her. She wouldn’t meet Catra’s eye when she turned to see what was wrong.

“Shadow Weaver would have what?” Glimmer’s tone was low, cautious. Catra frowned. This was just like a princess. Assume everything is hunky-dory. Miss all the signs. 

Catra ignored Glimmer entirely. “They . . . don’t know.” She said it slowly, shifting towards Adora with her hand outstretched. Adora didn’t respond, but she still wouldn’t look Catra in the eye.

It was answer enough.


	2. Refuge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kyle arrives at Brightmoon with five soldiers in tow.

“Horde!”

The scream startles Glimmer from the card game she’s playing. A rumble seems to go through the castle as guards spring into action. Glimmer finds herself teleporting without even considering where she’s going.

When she arrives Adora is already on the scene, eyes wide and shoulders tense, but it isn’t an attack.

In a line in the middle of the village stand six Horde soldiers – if they can really be called that. They’re disheveled, worn, exhausted, and entirely too young. Adora shoots her a look – pleading. Let me handle this, it asks. At Glimmer’s nod, her eyes harden; she is every bit the soldier she was raised to be. 

She moves closer to the line, Glimmer shadowing her until she comes up short about three feet away. There’s five children, the oldest at most being twelve, decked out in the red and white uniform of the Horde. As far as Glimmer can tell they aren’t carrying any weapons, but one is holding a makeshift cane, another’s arm is hanging in a sling. The last of the six is older, blonde, and lanky – Glimmer squints, is that – 

“K – Kyle?” The name is barely a whisper from Adora, but the blonde boy snaps to attention in a tense salute, the five children only a moment behind him.

“Force Captain,” Kyle rasps, “We are reporting for duty.”

Adora flinches in response and takes a step back, the action a violent rejection of her old life. None of the children move. There’s a moment where Glimmer thinks she might need to step in, but then Adora takes a steadying breath and straightens. “At ease.”

Glimmer frowns at the reaction. The children barely relax: their backs remain ramrod-straight; their hands clasped tightly behind their backs; their eyes trained somewhere above Adora’s head. While they do their best to hide it, the position is clearly painful for some of them.

It doesn’t seem to faze Adora. She walks with purpose towards Kyle, either not noticing or ignoring the way the five children tense at her approach. Kyle gulps, but doesn’t move from his position. Adora reaches a hand out, turning Kyle’s face gently to reveal claw marks across his cheek. Adora’s jaw tightens; Glimmer’s own fists clench. 

“Report.”

“Ah . . . “ Kyle clears his throat, “Force Captain, we’ve brought you and the Rebellion some intelligence.” He pulls a data pad from his pack and presents it to Adora. “We – we request refuge . . . refuge from the Horde.”

Adora frowns. Glimmer strains to hear her as she questions him further in a low whisper. “Rogelio? Lonnie?” Kyle’s eyes water and he bends his head, eyes cast down to his feet. The name she doesn’t mention seems to echo in the wind. Adora is silent for only a few seconds, her gaze drifting to somewhere behind Kyle, her mind even farther away.

“You’re injured.” Adora announces as she turns her back on them, but Glimmer sees the way the children’s eyes widen at the words. “Come.” 

“Adora.” Kyle reaches out and grabs her hand in desperation. Adora spins, snatching her hand from his grasp in an instant. The children flinch at his action, at his insubordination. “I – I apologize, Force Captain. I didn’t . . .” Adora blinks, her face softening.

“It will be okay, Kyle.” She murmurs, but stalks away without another word. Glimmer hasn’t seen her like this since the early days, and even then she’d never seemed so cold.

They fear what she will do to them – even Kyle. Glimmer can tell, but they follow her anyways: through the crowd of villagers and the gates of Bright Moon; under the watchful eye of the guards; into the belly of the beast. Glimmer follows silently behind, her warning glance keeping the guards away.

“Sit.” Adora’s command comes out more harshly than Glimmer thinks she intended, but the children – prisoners? – obey. Adora doesn’t watch to make sure; instead she turns to the bewildered, on-duty medic. Glimmer watches silently from the door, unsure if she is there to help or guard.

Adora gestures to one of the children, the one most injured from the looks of him. The medic’s gaze flickers to Glimmer for a moment, but they have the good sense not to make a scene. Adora is in charge for now. As the medic begins examining the children, Adora walks back to Glimmer. “Kyle,” The blonde looks up – startled. Every eye in the room flickers to him. “With me.”

Kyle manages a weak smile towards the kids. “I’ll be back.” He promises softly. Glimmer frowns. What did they think was going to happen to him?

Adora is almost as tense as the rest of the Horde group as she leads them into the hall. “Are you well enough to see the Queen?” He takes a deep breath, steeling his nerves, before responding with a nod. Adora nods as well and then looks to Glimmer.

“Wha – oh! Yes, yes, we should speak to my Moth – I mean the Queen right away.” Glimmer turns, her face reddening from embarrassment. She wasn’t as cool as Adora, never would be. Her bumbling doesn’t seem to ease the tension from either of her companions though.

They follow her to the Great Hall silently. Angella is waiting for them, expression stern. “My Queen,” Glimmer begins, curtseying, behind her Adora bows and Kyle lowers to his knees, “Six . . . refuges – children really – from the Horde have come to us seeking asylum. They have offered us a data pad that they claim has valuable Horde intelligence. This is the oldest and their leader, Kyle.”

There is a long moment of tense silence. Angella’s face is stern, considering. Kyle is shaking. “And what, pray tell, is the intelligence that you’re offering, solider?” 

“I – I believe they’re battle plans for a siege on Mystacor, Sir.” Angella frowns at the title. Kyle flinches in return.

“My Queen,” Adora calls out, “I – I must caution you, the refuges – they may be children, but they’re still Horde soldiers. I believe we can trust Kyle, but – “ She cuts herself off. Her cheeks flush with shame. Wasn’t she in the same position as them only a few months ago?

“I will vouch for them.” Glimmer finds the words fall out of her mouth without actual thought. All eyes shift to her and she gulps under the pressure. She takes a deep breath, reassuring herself that this is the right choice. She’s made it before.

“They are children.” She declares. Adora doesn’t even try to argue. Her eyes only speak of her appreciation. “Many of them are injured. How could we still stand for hope and freedom if we turn them away? If we leave them at the mercy of Hordak – doesn’t that make use complicit in his tyranny?”

Time seems to still after Glimmer comes to an end. Her mother’s face seems frozen in a stern mask of indifference. Everyone seems to be holding their breath.

But then her mother breaks, a slight smile brightening up the room. Glimmer feels relief flood through her. Kyle breaks into a sob, Adora taking only a moment before putting a hand on his shoulder. It’s a small gesture, but it makes tears well up in Glimmer’s eyes.

Adora had been a child too.


End file.
